Hotel Europa

The oldest restaurant in the world is in Madrid

By | 28 August, 2019 | 0 comments

El restaurante más antiguo del mundo está en Madrid

Founded in 1725, you can’t miss the opportunity to eat at the world’s oldest restaurant in Madrid. Jean Botín, a French chef, and his wife of Asturian origin founded Casa Botín, which according to Forbes is now number 3 on the list of classic restaurants in the world. Casa Botín has not ceased its activity for a single day; not even during the Civil War, winning the Guinness Book World Record as the oldest restaurant in the world.

More than 300 years ago, the establishment was not like other restaurants, since at that time it was only allowed to cook what the guest brought. With many years of history, Francisco de Goya is said to have worked there as a dishwasher while looking for a new master. Likewise, famous authors such as Benito Pérez Galdós, Ramón Gómez de la Serna, Graham Greene, among others, “took” their characters to eat in this mythical restaurant in Madrid. Even the American Ernest Hemingway, in his book Fiesta, described Botín as one of the best restaurants in the world.

Its fame lies in its wood-fired oven, preserved to date, which, according to Luis Javier Sanchez, deputy director of the restaurant, is the jewel of the crown since “it has never been turned off in 293 years” because you must keep the heat at night to roast in the morning. The recipes are equally old, with a menu composed of dishes from our grandparents, which evoke nostalgia. From suckling pig to lamb, Casa Botín is a tribute to the tradition of ancient Spanish recipes that does not aspire to compete with modern cuisine.

Run by the fourth generation of the González family, successor to the founding family, the restaurant occupies four floors and retains its original state. It is located in Calle Cuchilleros, 17 in the La Latina district, very close to our hotel.

Categories: Guías Madrid

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